“Yes, and Tad Sobber, too,” added Sam, who had not forgotten the poisonous snake episode at Putnam Hall.

“They weren’t after chickens—­that was only a blind,” said Dick.  “They want to get something from the house—­some papers that Merrick wants.”

“They must be valuable,” said Sam.

“Father has all sorts of valuable papers,” went on Tom.  “Bonds, deeds to mining properties, and such.  But I thought he had the most of those in a safe deposit vault in the city.”

“So he has,” answered Dick.  “Maybe these fellows would be fooled even if they got into Uncle Randolph’s house.  They—­Listen!”

Shelley and Cuffer had begun to talk again.  They mentioned a tramp steamer called the Josephine, and Shelley said she was now in port being repaired.  Then the conversation drifted to sporting matters, and Cuffer told how he had lost a hundred dollars on a prize fight.

“That’s why I’m here,” he added.  “And I want some money the next time I see Sid Merrick.”

“He won’t give us any unless we—­” said Shelley, and the boys did not hear the end of the sentence, for the speaker tried the door as he spoke, throwing the inner bolt back.  Of course with the outer bolt in place, the door refused to budge.  The boys drew back, and Tom raised the shotgun and Dick his pistol.

“The door is caught!” cried Shelley, and pushed on it as hard as he could.

“What!” exclaimed Cuffer and leaped forward.  He, too, tried to move the barrier.  “This is a trick!  Somebody has bolted the door on the outside.”

“Was there a bolt there?”

“Yes, a heavy one, too.”

“Then somebody has trapped us!”

“Open that door!” sang out Cuffer, before his companion could stop him.

“We are not going to open that door,” answered Dick, in an equally loud voice.  “We have got you fast and we intend to keep you so.”

“Who are you?”

“I am Dick Rover, and my two brothers are with me.  We are well armed, and we’ll shoot if you try to break that door down.”

“Caught!” cried Shelley in a rage, and then uttered several exclamations under his breath.

“What are you going to do?” asked Cuffer, after a moment of silence.

“Hold you prisoners until we can get help and then turn you over to the officers of the law.”

“We haven’t done anything wrong.”

“That remains to be seen.”

“You haven’t any right to lock us in here.”

“Then we take the right,” answered Tom grimly.

“Let us smash the door down,” came in a low tone from inside the room.

“If you try it we’ll surely fire,” said Dick, and cocked his pistol so the men might hear the click.  Tom did the same with the shotgun.

“See here, you let us out and we’ll make it all right with you,” remarked Shelley, after another pause.  “We are not the bad fellows you take us to be.  We were only going to play a joke, that’s all.”